Rag Doll
by ShadowDianne
Summary: "Sorry I'm late, but not really cause that woman is an imposter!" - s!1 Emma Swan crashes the wedding; turns out she was held prisoner by the Dark Swan all this time. -.- Asked by baku-babe back at tumblr


**A/N Would you trust me if I told you that I tried to make it crackish? But I'm horrible with that and then I started writing and this happened xd**

 **Setting; There is no Dark Fairy. They had already defeated her and the wedding is on. Emma has been a prisoner ever since the Dark Swan arc. The details about the wedding -chair placements… etc- , have been slightly diverted from canon.**

 **(Mainly because I refuse to look at that part of the ep more than the one time I already saw it)**

 **Also, pre-relationship.**

Rag Doll

The air was buzzing with the muttered conversations and sobs that floated from one side to the other of the makeshift hall and flashes could already be seen through the periphery of those seated at the front row. That one was, by far, the quieter one as Emma finally walked down the aisle, white and gold on her brow, David at her side looking solely at her and Snow. The two of them looked as proud as ever with tired-rimmed eyes and Neal, peacefully asleep and looking that he didn't plan to wake anytime soon was happily bundled up on Snow's arms.

They, however, were the only ones on that row looking that way.

Next to both Snow and Neal Henry kept glancing from his knees to Emma, his warm eyes raking through the woman's form with his jaw set and a painful sensation on the back of his mouth where his tongue was pressing his mouth's roof. The collar of his suit felt tight around his neck and every second or so he tried to loose it only to find that it was impossible. He was the one who saw the first flashes directed at the new-couple-to-be once David walked Emma to the altar, small words falling from his lips before he turned towards his seat, chair creaking as he took his seat.

The blinding flashes perturbed Henry but he merely frowned, knowing that, as everything else, it would all be over soon.

Next to him there was someone however who didn't seem to share the sentiment and if Henry was skirmish Regina seemed about to get sliced by tiny needles only she was able to see. Her tightly clasped hands were covered by Zelena's right one, the redhead pointedly staring at her younger sister once both Emma and Hook turned towards Archie. The red-head man smiled to them both before looking towards the guests, his voice beginning to rumble just as Regina's head tilted towards her left, magic surging from within her and prickling her insides until a flash of purple magic illuminated her eyes just as she turned fully towards the aisle where both bride and father had walked though mere seconds ago.

"Henry." She muttered through gritted teeth, not even caring to explain herself when Zelena tugged at her hands, the first curious Storybrooke inhabitants staring openly at her instead of the couple-to-be.

The boy, however, who had already half-turned to look at her, never got to hear the next of that sentence since different things happened at the same time.

The first one was that the gentle breeze that had been floating around, playing and bringing to them the smell of the sea from the close shore turned into something much stronger. Regina had only the time to unclasp her hands from Zelena's and grab his son's shoulder just as the new breeze hit them with just the same hint of magic Regina had felt. The second was that just as the breeze started to pool on the beginning of the aisle, just from where Emma had entered, the blonde turned and looked at it, her expression completely blank as around her the first signs of panic started to appear. Hook followed her stare soon after but almost no one picked that up since most of them were staring at the wind that only seemed to grow into tendrils of white silvery magic Regina could only feel tingles from.

The third and final thing that happened was that all of a sudden the breeze stopped, the magical buzz quieting just as a figure all the ones there recognized all too well appeared in the middle of where the tendrils had been. Gasps were heard just as a blonde mane and fiery green eyes stared back at them, hands tightly wounded into fists and every piece of righteous fury the woman seemed able to muster coming to them in hot waves.

Regina's hand went slack on Henry's shoulder but the boy didn't turn to look at her, unable to stare at anything else but the second Emma Swan that was now standing in the middle of the aisle with the red leather jacket he still could remember but haven't seen for so long draped around her shoulders. It was Regina, however, the one who first spoke. Albeit so faintly only Zelena and him were able to hear the soft "Emma?" She uttered.

The second Emma took a step towards were now Hook and the other her were staring back at her and rose her chin, her squared shoulders silhouetting against the once again pristine blue sky. "Sorry I'm late." She said, her voice sounding tired and disused. From below the jumper she wore and crawling up her neck there were faint red and purple markings that made Henry halt, his brain completely short-circuited just as his mother's hand grabbed his shoulder again, the power crackling against his clothed shoulder. "Although I'm not really since that woman is an imposter."

Guests gasped and Regina was able to hear how Zelena muttered "Oh my." under her breath just as Snow started to cough, seeming completely speechless just as David stood up, doing a big gesture as he went to pick up his sword only to find too late that he wasn't carrying it. Henry remained rooted on the spot and so he didn't catch Hook's uncomfortable smile as he took a step towards the newcomer.

The Emma that had been about to get married with him, however, didn't move.

"That's impossible." He said with something too close to a smirk as some of the dwarves started to look at him instead to the newcomer. Henry looked at him too, a part of him, the one of the author craving for the quill and paper he could feel calling for them at the other side of Storybrooke. "I would have known."

At the sound of that that first Emma, still clothed in white, smiled at him brightly, turning to stare at her feet the second he nodded at her. Henry felt wanting to gag as he felt Regina moving at his back just as the thought of that woman claiming to be Emma would be in fact the real Emma.

A horrible idea he surmised, many other questions swarming inside his brain; for how long? Why? Where? He, however, couldn't bring himself to trust the woman that was clothed in a wedding dress and that alone made him swallow, feeling bitter remorse as he did so.

His thoughts were cut short however when his other mother stood as tall as she was and moved towards the aisle, eyes glowing purple just as that second Emma turned to look at her, shoulders visibly shagging once green eyes found brown.

"Regina, please." The newcomer whispered and for a second Regina faltered, sensing not only truth but worry on those green eyes. "You know I'm saying the truth, that woman is not me."

The other Emma, the one who had been considered to be real, remained painfully silent at Regina's back and as the former queen turned, her eyes falling onto Henry's for a second, the other guests looked as well, a second collective gasp being heard just as they saw how that first Emma turned to look at them, merely smiling with empty eyes and posture so stiff Henry could only think in a piece of wood.

"Sweetie?" Snow asked then, her voice raising with a hint of doubt echoing there.

Hook moved protectively over the blonde, the second his hand touched her arm a wave of nausea filling not only Regina but Zelena as well. Magic. Tightening their lips and pursing them into two fine lines, the sisters eyed each other before Regina looked back at the newcomer, magic on her fingers just as she took one step closer to her.

"Who are you then?" She asked just as Hook snarled in fury.

"A liar!" The man tried to look at the ones on the front row but all of them avoided his gaze just as the soon-to-be married Emma remained silent. "She probably is some sort of trick from the Dark Fairy!"

"I'm the real Emma." Emma replied, not even bothering to look at Hook. Her eyes were solely focused on Regina as she took a step closer, her boots scrapping the floor as she did so. The former queen realized that even though the woman was pulling a strong upfront her movements seemed halted and slow. Pained "Please, Regina, you need to believe me. That's not me."

The two of them stared at each other, everyone else silent around them. Emma fumbled with the sleeve of her jacket once before nibbling her bottom lip, her blonde tresses jumping from her shoulders as she moved her head to her left, a plea glowing on her eyes. "I told you that I came to Storybrooke because the day Henry appeared on my doorstep I had just wished for some connection with the family I've never known. You almost threw me out Storybrooke here and there. You know it's me. Please."

The small smile that grew on her lips was unmistakable and Regina faltered again, her mind probing the conscious magic of the woman in front of her, the one that she had sensed before she had even appeared. Magic she now felt seeping through her pores, as if calling her, as if calling Emma. Emma who was staring at her in the middle of the aisle and looking as if about to fall down.

"Em…" She started but halted just as Hook screamed a very undignified screech that made everyone turn to look at the couple.

The Emma that had been standing there stared at them back with hollow eyes and a stitched bland smile, her form quickly loosing definition as her skin and hair began to disappear. Grey magic floated above her and both Snow and David took a step backwards, Snow covering Neal's face as Henry and Zelena looked at each other.

"I think we have already our answer of who is who." The red-head called just as the Emma on the aisle collapsed, her copy back at the altar transformed into nothing else but a rag doll.

-.-

"I think you owe me an explanation." Hook was saying the second Regina entered in her living room, warm bowl of soup on her hands.

After what had happened the wedding had been called off and everyone who had any kind of connection with Emma had retreated to Regina's house in where the brunette had quickly put the blonde to sleep on her couch while barking instructions to Zelena, not even stopping to look twice at the Charmings who eyed alternatively the doll and the now sleeping daughter whose labored breath had echoed through the entire room.

The blonde had awoken soon after they had all started to discuss what had happened and through her parched lips she had asked for a glass of water Regina had quickly offered, her eyes only focused on the woman she had in front of her. The magic she still could sense coming from her felt fragile and brittle, as if something about to break and for that she kept throwing glances at the doll, now nothing more but a heap of rags.

Emma had remained tight-lipped of what had happened to her until Regina had touched her wrists, unable to stay away as she healed the marks on her neck and chest. Once that had been over the blonde had smiled faintly before asking for something to eat. That had been where the former queen had go to and she bristled at the sound of Hook's voice. To her surprise, however, it was precisely Emma who answered him, voice tired but strong enough to reach her just as she placed the bowl soup on a tray.

"I own you nothing."

"We only want to know what happened." Snow said soothingly just as Regina placed the bowl in front of Emma. The blonde smiled at her once before muttering a soft thank you, eyes trained on the soup as if she had never seen anything more beautiful than that.

It was strange, the brunette caught herself wondering, how once the imposter had disappeared everything that had made the blonde…. Emma, had returned. As if it had never truly disappeared it.

"We can wait if you need." Regina said, not seeing neither Snow's and David's shared glance nor Zelena's smirk and definetely not Hook's furibund stare.

Emma, however, did and so she shook her head, swallowing before starting to talk once again.

"I created her." She said while pointing at the doll; it didn't resemble her anymore but all of the ones listening felt a shiver as they stared at it, as if it was something they weren't supposed to look at. "Back when I was the Dark One."

"Why?" Henry asked and Emma threw at her a shy glance before continuing it, her eyes carefully avoiding Hook as she did so.

"I had planned on using her to take my place. I started to plan it back on Camelot but then… everything changed."

"You divided your power." Regina muttered under her breath, eliciting a small nod from the blonde.

"After that I didn't get to make her work. I managed to create an image of myself but I couldn't… make her look alive, not as if I was me at least. I had wanted to give you that as I started to lose myself but then we all returned to Storybrooke and I wasn't even the same Dark One I had thought I would be."

"Because you saved me, love." Hook interjected, trying to grab Emma's hand only for the blonde to growl.

"Once we returned here I forgot about her until my power started to get volatile. I had her hidden at one magically created timepocket and when I went to retrieve her and destroy her once and for all… she attacked me. Told me that she needed to be the one I had her asked to be."

"Golems are always nasty business." Zelena chipped in from her corner of the room and even if Regina shot her a dark glance she couldn't but think the same.

Emma, however, didn't seem to mind the interruption because she merely nodded. "I was too surprised and by the time I managed to get to the entrance of the time pocket… she was gone. And with her my ability to cross back here. I've been there ever since."

"How did you broke free?" Snow asked, eliciting a half-shrug from her daughter.

"If it was the Dark Swan the one who created the pocket once that part of her magic was destroyed the power around it must have started to get less effective." Regina answered for Emma, eyes till completely focused on her. She was staring, she knew that, she also found herself completely unable to look at anything else as wave after wave of relief washed over her. "How were you able to know where we were?"

Emma blushed at the question and took another spoonful of soup before answering. "Dreamcatchers. I had a few there hidden, just in case."

"But you…" Hook started and it was then when Regina truly saw an Emma she had thought she wasn't there anymore. Pale with fury the blonde snarled at him only to speak through clenched teeth.

"Last time I knew you tried to kill my family. I don't care what she told you, Hook. I don't want to see you again."

"But…"

"You heard her." Regina said, not even bothering to look at Hook as she spoke. The pirate seemed about to say something but as he tried to caught anyone's stares he found himself alone, no one even looking at him as Emma finished the last of her soup.

"This is not over." He said piteously. "You told me you loved me."

"Not anymore."

Hook left, muttering curses under his breath and insults none of the ones inside the room really got the time to listen. Which, considering who the pirate was was probably for the best.

"So…" Emma started before being cut off by Snow and David, the two of them hugging Emma tightly. Chuckling, the blonde looked at both Henry and Regina over her parents' shoulders. "How are you?"

Henry beamed. However it was the brunette woman who spoke.

"Better." Regina replied without thinking. "Much better."

And she kept staring until she needed to look away, small smile on her lips and magic running through her fingers.

"Me too." Emma whispered and Regina knew she was telling the truth.


End file.
